Russia is attempting to incorporate Laos into its war with Ukraine under the guise of humanitarian cooperation, it has been claimed. According to Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), the Kremlin is planning the deployment of troops from the tiny communist country with specialities in military engineering.

The agency believes that Moscow will use the soldiers in the Kursk Oblast region to aid in demining operations, and that the relieved Russian troops will be redirected to other fronts. Last August, Ukraine seized the Russian territory in Kursk in a daring and surprising military operation but lost large swathes this year to Vladimir Putin’s forces. HUR said: “Russia, under the guise of humanitarian rhetoric, is trying to legalize the presence of foreign military contingents on its territory, effectively using them to wage war against Ukraine.”

Military analysts do not believe that the country has a sophisticated military, with the deployment likely to be more symbolic than militarily useful.

Russia is understood to be focusing heavily on the recruitment of foreign fighters as it continues to lose men at an astonishing rate.

Earlier this month, Russian casualties, which included killed and wounded, exceeded one million for the period since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, according to Ukrainian estimates.

They have previously deployed soldiers from North Korea, whilst foreign mercenaries from a range of countries have been captured by Ukrainian forces, including China, Vietnam and Thailand.

According to estimates, more than 1,500 foreign fighters from 48 countries have joined Russia's war.

Ukraine has also recruited foreign fighters with troops from Britain, the United States and Australia all having lost their lives or been captured in the conflict.

Laos is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia with close ties to both Moscow and Beijing.

Despite this, the country receives tens of millions of pounds in aid from the UK as well as several broader multi-year regional schemes.

The country is in line for at least £86.5 million in aid in the next financial year, but it is unclear at this stage how that would be impacted should troops deploy in aid of Russia.

Despite being a communist country with close ties to Russia, it remains a popular tourist destination for western travellers.